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Structured material having apertures and method of producing the same

a structured material and aperture technology, applied in the direction of synthetic resin layered products, bandages, transportation and packaging, etc., can solve the problems of poor skin health, leakage of conventional cover materials used in personal care absorbent articles, and inability to provide high viscosity fluids, etc., to achieve fast and efficient menses handling, high viscosity, and high viscosity

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-10-10
KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a process for making a cover material for personal care absorbent articles that can manage high viscosity fluids, such as menses and runny bowel movements, without compromising the management of other fluids, such as urine. The cover material should be soft and comfortable, absorbent, clean and dry, and have fluid intake and rewet properties similar to or better than more expensive model materials. The process involves a differential shrinkage process where a second layer or fiber set is made of a polymer or polymer blend that has a different shrinkage extent and orientation, crystallization, solidification, and elastic properties than the first layer or fiber set. The structured material can be used as a cover material for management of high viscosity fluids or as an intake liner and cost-effective replacement for sur."

Problems solved by technology

Conventional cover materials used in personal care absorbent articles do not provide for high viscosity fluids, for example menses, runny bowel movements, wound exudate and blood.
As a result, the conventional cover materials used in personal care absorbent articles leak and contribute to poor skin health.
However, these conventional liners do not provide for particle intake.
As a result, the particles contained within the high viscosity fluids separate during absorption of the water and tend to remain on the surface of the liner to produce undesired interactions with the wearer's skin.
However, these materials are costly to manufacture.

Method used

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  • Structured material having apertures and method of producing the same
  • Structured material having apertures and method of producing the same
  • Structured material having apertures and method of producing the same

Examples

Experimental program
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Effect test

example 1

[0111]Several structured composite materials 10 were produced in accordance with the process of this invention and evaluated to compare the properties of each material with those of conventional model cover materials. A 100 gsm CaCO3 filled linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) film, made using 45% by weight of m-LLDPE and 55% by weight CaCO3, is oriented in the machine direction using a machine direction orientor to three times its original length and then bonded to a nonwoven surge material. The bond pattern used was a S-weave bond pattern. The film layer of the composite material has a low shrinking temperature and is apertured during the bonding process by burning off the polymers in the bond areas. As the apertured composite material is heated, the film layer shrinks, thus producing the structure 40 of the apertured structured composite material 10.

[0112]During the bonding process, the film layer was positioned against the pattern roll and the nonwoven surge material was posi...

example 2

[0119]Several samples of structured composite materials 10 were produced according to this invention having a first layer 20 made of a polypropylene polymer and a slit apertured second layer 30 made of an ethylene-propylene copolymer 30. Sample 1 was made with a non-shrinking first layer 20 and a slit apertured second layer 30 having slits 44 with a machine direction orientation. Sample 2 was made with a non-shrinking first layer 20 and a slit apertured second layer 30 having slits 44 with a diagonal orientation. Sample 3 was a composite cover material having a first layer 20 of polypropylene polymer and a second layer 30 of ethylene-polypropylene copolymer. The polypropylene polymer was made by the Exxon Mobil Chemical Company under the trade designation Exxon 3155 and the copolymer was made by Union Carbide under the trade designation 6D43. Each sample was treated with 0.3% Ahcovel surfactant add-on and tested for menses and rewet performance. The control code for the test was a s...

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Abstract

A method for producing an apertured structured material for accommodating passage of fluids, particularly high viscosity fluids, through the apertured structured material. In one embodiment, the apertured structured material is a composite material formed by differential shrinkage of a shrinkable second layer, for example an ethylene-propylene copolymer, which is laminated to a first layer, for example a polypropylene polymer. During the differential shrinkage process, a plurality of slits which are formed in the second layer open to form uniformly-shaped apertures. In another embodiment, an apertured structured heterogenous material is made of a heterogeneous mixture of at least two homogeneous fiber sets or components having different shrinkage extents.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to a method for producing an apertured structured material, for example a cover material or topsheet for personal care absorbent articles including diapers, feminine pads, incontinence garments, training pants, wound care products, and the like. The apertured structured material according to this invention provides a structure for accommodating passage of fluids, particularly high viscosity fluids such as menses, runny bowel movements, wound exudate and blood, therethrough.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Personal care absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, incontinent-care pads and the like are widely used, and much effort has been made to improve the effectiveness and functionalities of these articles. Conventional cover materials used in personal care absorbent articles do not provide for high viscosity fluids, for example menses, runny bowel movements, wound e...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B32B37/00A61F13/15B32B3/24B32B7/028B32B37/14B32B38/04
CPCA61F13/512A61F13/53708B32B3/266B32B37/144B32B38/04B32B7/02A61F2013/4958A61F2013/53786Y10T156/1057B32B2038/047B32B2307/736A61F13/51121A61F13/5123A61F13/15577Y10T428/24994B32B7/028
Inventor DELUCIA, MARY LUCILLECHI-CHING TAN, SANDYVARONA, EUGENIO GOKING, JESSICA B.
Owner KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE INC
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